Swiss cheese and method for sterilizing the same



- City,

arren STATES ram OFFICE.

LINN EUGENE CARPENTER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW ERSEY, AND ELMER MWORTH EEDREDGE, .OF SIDNEY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOBS TO PHENIX CHEESE COMPANY, OF- NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SWISS CHEESE AND METHOD FOR STERILIZING THE SAME.

No Drawing. Original application filed June 21, 1915,, serial it'o. 35,477. Renewed March 14, 1918, Serial No. 222,514. Divided and this application filed March 14:, 1918. Serial No. 222,312.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, LINN EUGENE CAR- rENTER and ELMER ELLSWORTH ELDREDGE, both citizens of the United States, the former residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, and the latter residing at Sidney, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Swiss Cheeses and Methods for Sterilizing the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 35,477, filed June 21, 1915, for cheeses and processes for sterilizin the same.

%)ur invention relates to the sterilization of cheeses, and more particularly cheeses of the type known commercially as Swiss cheeses, in order to prevent or at least greatly lessen the tendency thereof to deand to destroy any disease germs therein contained.

We also seek to improve the flavor and the appearance of the cheese, and to render its texture homongeneousand uniform.

We have made the discovery that quite a large variety of cheeses, differing considerably in kind, may by comparatively simple and inexpensive treatment be given remarkabie powers for resisting decay, and

, that by such treatment the cheese is otherwise greatly improved in many ways, principally by ridding it of certain kinds of undesirable bacteria.

We have also made the discovery that the basic material to be operated upon to produce the results desired may be either cheese of a single kind or a mixture of' cheeses of difi'erent kinds, and that for some purposes a mixture of cheeses is preferable.

For Swiss cheese, we proceed as follows: We first grind the cheese, for instance in a sausage grinder, and add two or three per cent., by weight, of sodiumcitrateand eight to ten per cent., by weight, of water. We also add two per cent.,by weight, of No. 1 Neufchatel cheese. The mass is now heated to approximately 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and stirred violently, while this temperature is maintained for thirty minutes. Dry salt is now added, suflicient in quantity to render the flavor saline to any extent des eclfication of letters .iatent. Patented Aug. 30, 1921 sired. The mass is found to be soft and citrate and in some instances the alkaline salt may be dispensed with altogether. The stirring, however, 1s quite essential in order to promote circulation and thus insure that every particle of the cheese is subjected to an. adequate degree of heat. The stirring also tends to preventthe heat from burn- 131 the cheese or causing its disintegration.

in this connection we call attention to a fact which may be readily confirmed by casual observation, namely, that when cheese of any kind is heated under ordinary cond1t1ons, 1t is broken up and changed greatly m character. For instance, in making Welsh rareblt, where the cheese is simply heated n a frying pan to a temperature approxlrnating the boiling point for water, the resulting mass is resolved into a viscous, adhesive yellowish material accompamed by a quantity of free butter fat. Again, if a piece of cheese be heated to almost any temperature a little below the bo llng point of water, the cheese will become grainy and lose a part of its flavor.

We have made the disc0very that if the temperature used for heating be carefully adjusted as above described,- a cheese may be sterilized or pasteurized, yet without being broken up or having any of its ingredients separated from others. The particular temperature for this urpose varies slightly under different conditions and with difierent cheeses, but allowing for this fact there is usually a proximate critical temperature at which the greatly desired 'result is easily accomplishe In instances where two kinds of cheese are mixed, a single common temperature sufiicestfor the mixture. Generally the mixture desired contains a soft cheese and a relatively small proportion of a harder cheese.

The steps such as grinding, adding water and salt and pouring into molds or boxes, though usually desirable in practice, are not in every instance absolutely necessary- The stirring, however, is essential.

What is claimed and what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent 1s:-

1. As an article of manufacture a sterile cheese containing a preponderance of Swiss cheese, a small ercentage of some other cheese capable o mixing therewith into a homogeneous mass, and a small percentage of sodium citrate.

2. The method, herein described, of treating cheese, which consists in grinding Swiss cheese, adding thereto a small rcentage of sodium citrate, water and Neu chatel cheese, heatin the mass to approximately 165 degrees ahrenheit for about thirty minutes, and stirring the mass constantly while thus heated.

3. As an article of manufacture, a cheese of the Swiss genus, sterilized sufiiciently to enable it'to'keep indefinitely under ordinary climatic temperatures, said cheese having a homogeneous texture. I

4. As an article of manufacture, a cheese of the Swiss genus, so far sterilized as to enable it to kee under ordinary climatic temperatures, said cheese being inclosed in a container and having a homogeneous texture.

5. As an article of manufacture, axcheese mass containing a preponderance of a cheese of the Swiss genus, said cheese mass bein inclosed in a container and sufiiciently steri ized to keep indefinitely under ordinary climatic temperatures.

6. As an article of manufacture, a cheese mass suflicientl sterilized to keep indefinitely under or inary climatic temperatures, said cheese mass containing a preponderance of Swiss cheese and a small percentage of another cheese.

7; The method herein described of treating a cheeseimass containing a preponderance of cheese of the Swiss genus, which consists in heating the cheese actively' stirring it while thus heated, the temperature bein maintained sufliciently high and the heating and stirring being continued for a sufiicient length of time to render the cheese mass permanently keeping, -.and in'closin'g the cheese mass in a container.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our-names, this 5th day of March, 1918.

LINN EUGENE CARPENTER.

ELMER IILLSWORTH ELDREDGE. 

